Once Upon A Jane
by MissBathsheba
Summary: What if Emma Swan had a twin sister? What if that sister did believe in magic all her life? And finally, what if this sister was Wendy Darling but with a different name? Read along to find out!


**_Chapter 1_**

* * *

_When the world turns grey,_

_and the sun of hope shines no more,_

_two sisters shall restore what's gone._

_Born within minutes,_

_one's heart made of hope and belief,_

_the other's of logic and reason._

_Together they make a whole,_

_are the key to everyone's joy,_

_but shall be separated,_

_thrown to strange, distant lands._

_After twenty-eight years,_

_the believer will find her non-believer's part,_

_and, not without struggle, shall finally_

_make a whole of themselves and everyone,_

_once more._

* * *

The sound of a train had always been soothing to Jane. It symbolised moving forward, there was no way of stopping it. All she ever wanted was to see what time would bring her. She hoped for happiness and fulfillment, but who didn't? Her life had been a perfect road of bumps and tears but Jane Darling-Florez never lost hope for a happy ending, _her_ happy ending. That hope remained in her heart from the moment she was born and through all the moments of her life that were the opposite of joyful.

On the day she took a train from New York to Boston, she felt her life was about to begin once again. In her right hand she held her adoption certificate, the first one, which stated that she was a twin. She also had another document in her other hand, a photocopy of a newspaper from October 1983 where there was an article with a headline: "Twin girls found on the side of the road in Storybrooke, Maine.".

It was the day she would find her long lost sister. It was also the day that Jane knew would start a beginning of a journey to find their parents, one way or the other and whatever was necessary to do so they would do, _together_ at last.

"The next station is Boston South Station."

Jane smiled excitedly, and it seemed that her bright blue eyes sparkled with hope. She securely put away the documents into her handbag, making sure they can't crumble. Quickly, she brushed her black, wavy bob and stood up from her seat, wanting nothing else but to fly to her sister.

Boston was buzzing with people, cars and smoke, quite similarly to New York which Jane knew well herself. But none of it bothered her and she didn't even notice when a taxi brought her to a block of flats on the street she had written down and highlighted twice a week earlier.

Finally, in a blink of an eye, she was in an elevator and just as suddenly she found herself in front of the 205 apartment. Her hand started to shake and she put her other one over it calmly "Get yourself together, Jane." she hissed to herself nervously "It _will_ all be alright." and she pressed the bell.

She took a deep breath and within four seconds a tall woman opened the door. She had Jane's wavy hair, but the woman's hair was long and blonde, her style too differed from Jane's. Jane stood in a cosy, oversized green jumper, mustard-yellow suede skirt and a flowery, fuzzy scarf around her neck. The woman in front of her had a red leather jacket on and some casual black jeans.

However, what was unmissable to both Jane and the woman, both had the same eyes. The same shape, the same colour that depending on the light varied between blue, gray and green. It was their eyes that made the connection between them first.

Jane gasped and smiled widely. Unable to speak at first, the woman raised her eyebrow and asked: "Can I help you with something?"

Jane cleared her throat and took out the two documents from her bag, still smiling. Her eyes started to fill up with tears "Yes, indeed you can." she said in her British accent "Are you… Emma Swan?" she asked shakily.

"Yes, that's me. Who's asking?" Emma said, her eyes looking Jane up and down.

"My name is Jane. Jane Darling-Florez… I'm your twin sister." she said decidedly, a smile never leaving her lips.

Emma's facial expression changed. She looked shocked and a little breathless. Jane took a step closer and showed her the papers in her hands. "I didn't know I had a sister. Not until a month ago when I had a dream. I know, I _know_… It sounds silly but it did lead me to searching through my past and it is clear as day that we indeed are twins." she said to Emma, careful to not let her close the door in her face.

Emma looked at the documents for a minute, scanning them with her hopeful eyes. Finally, she looked up from them to Jane and smiled a little, shyly almost. Her eyes too filled with tears. "We really _are_ sisters." she said quietly. Jane chuckled and let her tears flow down her cheeks before she embraced Emma with all the love she could feel in her heart at that very moment.

"You're crushing me…" Emma whispered and both laughed before letting go of their embrace.

"Sorry, I just… Well, our meeting certainly went better than I thought it could." Jane admitted, wiping her tears away with a sleeve of her jumper.

Emma jumped suddenly "Oh, God, come in, Jane, come in." she exclaimed "I can't believe we shared that special moment in the doorway." she chuckled as they both came into Emma's apartment.

After a few moments they both settled in on the couch in the living room with both clinking their glasses of whiskey together "To us finding each other." Jane said.

"To _you_ finding _me_, Jane." Emma smiled and they both took a sip of their drinks. "So… you had a dream, did you say?" she asked.

"Yes," Jane smiled with still a bit of disbelief in her eyes "-A month ago, I had a dream which was different from normal dreams that I have." she chuckled "It sounds strange, I know. But in that dream, I mostly heard voices rather than actually saw things… Does that make sense?"

"Not really, but you did warn me that it was a weird dream." Emma said, smiling back at her sister.

"Yes, well…" Jane took another sip "In the dream, I heard a woman's voice who I assumed was our mother's voice." she looked at Emma, searching through them but found nothing "Well, the woman was talking to someone, someone whose voice sounded very eerily, like a… charlatan's almost." Emma made a face and both of them chuckled "I did say it was weird, didn't I? Anyway, that… _charlatan_ said many things and I can't remember them all but I do remember some things…"

"Go on." Emma encouraged her.

"He said, in a very stern voice, I do remember that. He said: _Get the twins to safety. And on their 28th birthday, the twins will return. They will find you and the final battle will begin_." Jane said and paused, giving Emma time to think and still looking at her for any clues.

Emma sighed hopelessly "The 'final battle'?" she asked, clearly baffled "It sounds like you dreamt some kind of a fairytale." she drank the rest of her whiskey.

Jane sighed too, with a little disappointment "Well, _yes_… I mean, it does sound _like_ one." she corrected herself "But it wasn't all that I heard. I then heard footsteps as if someone, or two people, started walking away and the charlatan began to resist and he cried and cried. He shouted: _We made a deal! I want the girls' names!_… And then the woman's voice said two names: _Jane and Emma_."

Emma nodded in acknowledgement but Jane saw in her face that she wasn't convinced. _It will take time then_, she thought to herself.

"I, of course, knew _my_ name but when I heard 'Emma', I woke up and I had this feeling that I need to find this girl, that 'Emma'." Jane smiled at her sister knowingly and she smiled back. "So I made hundreds of phone calls, millions of emails, tons of hours searching through records and eventually I found you. I discovered that we were both found on the side of a street almost 28 years ago…"

"28 years ago tomorrow…" Emma clasped Jane's hands suddenly "I can't believe that I share my birthday with someone. And that _finally_, I won't spend my birthday alone." she whispered with joy in her voice.

Jane pulled her into a hug. "You'll _never_ have to again." she said quietly to her. "Tomorrow will be the best day for both of us."

After a few seconds, they broke away and Emma looked at Jane quizzically "How… I mean, we're sisters, _twins_, and we were both clearly born here, in the States, so how come you have a British accent?" she asked and Jane laughed.

"Well, when I was one year old, I was adopted by a British family, the Darlings. Hence my surname." she explained.

Emma scoffed "Sorry, but I immediately thought of Peter Pan and the lot because of that surname."

Jane got goosebumps and she blushed from excitement, which she knew she had to hide, for a little while longer at least. "Yes, well, _me_…" she harrumphed "Wendy and her brothers _did_ have that surname… in the story." she said and then smiled. "And the funny thing is that my two brothers, well, the biological sons of the Darlings, are also called John and Michael."

"Like in the fairytale!" Emma laughed "That's so funny! Did they name them like that on purpose?"

"I don't know…" Jane said quickly and then smiled at Emma "Either way, I lived with them in London until… both of my adoptive parents were killed in a car accident." she tried to hide away her sadness.

Emma squeezed her hand in understanding. "I'm sorry to hear that." she said "What happened then? Did you get adopted again?"

"Not immediately because the three of us didn't want to be separated and you don't often get people who want to adopt three grown children at once. But after a few years a married couple, the Florez family, adopted us. They weren't too fond of us in the end though." she said, sighed and then waved her hand "Never mind that now. What about you? Did _you_ get adopted?"

Emma's eyes went completely blank "No." she replied simply "Wherever I ended up, they would send me back to the foster home again. _And_ again." she chuckled sadly "I had to become independent quite fast."

Jane's heart froze in utter guilt and sorrow. She quickly embraced her sister again "I will never be able to tell you how upsetting this is for me, Emma." she managed to say at last and then looked into her sister's eyes "But I promise you that from this day forward, you have a sister who will not leave your side willingly."

Emma's eyes, like Jane's, filled up with tears for the millionth time that day, and she smiled at her gratefully "Thanks, Jane." she said "I promise you the same."

* * *

Jane stayed at Emma's place and the two really hit it off. They talked all evening and half the night. It seemed that the two were true kindred spirits after all and Jane was quite sure that this day is one of the happiest in her life.

In the morning, she found a note in the kitchen, from Emma, saying that she was at work till 7pm and that she wants Jane to stay and wait for her to celebrate their birthday. There was a lovely _Happy Birthday_ written in enlarged handwriting of hers at the bottom of the page and Jane giggled from joy at it.

Quickly, she put on her clothes, freshened up and spent the day in Boston, trying to hit all of her sister's favourite spots there. She then bought the largest chocolate cake she could find, the most excessive birthday decorations in store, a bottle of Chianti and went back to Emma's place, ready to celebrate their 28th birthday.

When Emma came back, they both embraced one another, shared their most wonderful wishes for their other half, ate the cake and talked for the next two hours while listening to the old good Sinatra. It seemed that nothing and no one could disturb their moment of happiness.

Suddenly, before they even had a chance to open their bottle of Chianti, there was a bell at the door and both looked at each other with confusion. "Are you expecting anyone?" Jane asked.

"I'm a friendless orphan, Jane." Emma said "I can't think of anyone who would turn up at my apartment. Today of all days." she chuckled, clearly interested in the weirdness of the situation.

She went to the door and opened it hurriedly.

Jane stuck her head out to see better but she couldn't tell who was in front of Emma. All she could hear were their voices.

"Uh… Can I help you?" Emma's muffled voice rang in the air.

"Are you Emma Swan?" a child's voice sounded and Jane raised her eyebrow.

"Yeah, who are you?" Emma said.

"My name's Henry. I'm your son."

Jane's eyes widened to the size of two coins and she stood up from the sofa. Suddenly, a little boy with a striped scarf came into the living room despite Emma's protests.

When he saw Jane, he stopped in his tracks "Are you Jane?" he asked her and Jane's jaw dropped a little.

"I am, but how did you…" she started.

"I know that Emma has a twin sister called Jane. It's all in the book." he said decidedly and went over to the kitchen table. Both Jane and Emma looked at each other, buffled to the bone.

"But, kid, I don't have a son!" Emma exclaimed "Where are your parents?"

"How did you get here?" Jane asked, worriedly.

"10 years ago, did you give up a baby for adoption?" Henry asked Emma, looking straight at her. Jane's eyes widened again and she looked at Emma as well. "That was me." Henry added, even though he didn't have to.

"You did _not_ tell me that." Jane said to Emma, completely shocked.

"Give me a minute." Emma said to both Henry and Jane. She ran off to the bathroom and Jane shook her head finally, turning her attention to Henry.

"Umm…" she started, still flabbergasted "Would you like something to eat? Are you thirsty?" she asked, making her way to the fridge while her mind worked its way through this madness.

"Do you have any juice?" he asked her.

"Sure, here." Jane took out a bottle and a glass for him. He quickly started drinking and Jane could already guess that he travelled from far to get here. Before she could ask him anything, Emma flew out of the bathroom. Henry looked at both of the sisters with a smile on his face.

"You know, we should probably get going." he said suddenly.

"What? Where?" Jane asked.

"I want you both to come home with me." he replied, as if they should have known that already.

Emma and Jane shared another look "Okay, kid, I'm calling the cops." Emma said and started to make her way to the phone.

"Then I'll tell them that you've kidnapped me." Henry replied.

"And they'll believe you because I'm your birth mother." Emma said slowly and put down the phone.

"Yep." Henry said and Jane couldn't hide a little grin on her face.

"You wouldn't do that." Jane said to him and he turned to her.

"Try me."

Jane looked at Emma knowingly. Emma smiled at Henry "You're pretty good but here's the thing: there's not a lot I'm great at in life, but I have one skill. Let's call it a superpower. I can tell when anyone is lying, and you, kid, are." her eyes sparkled with mischief. She started to dial the phone.

"Emma, don't." Jane said suddenly and Emma looked at her helplessly and then at Henry.

"Please don't call the cops. _Please_." Henry begged in his charming way "Come home with me. Both of you." he said and looked at both Emma and Jane.

"Henry," Jane started "-I understand you asking your mother to come back home with you…" Emma gave Jane a stern look which Jane ignored "-but why me?"

Henry took Jane's hand in his and suddenly she felt very warm and hopeful. She felt as if she had been transported to a different time, just for a second. "Because you can't be separated, not again." he said.

"How did you know that we were separated?" Jane asked, taken aback.

"The book will tell you." he put a large, hardcover book in front of Jane. It had a title in gold letters: "Once Upon A Time". There was something very familiar about it for Jane and she was almost afraid to touch it. When she did, it was as if a chill passed through her body. The good kind. And she suddenly saw two faces. One of a young woman, her hair long, wavy and black like her own, of a heartshaped face and the kindest eyes she's ever seen. The other face belonged to an equally young man, he had a little cut on his chin, very blue eyes and blonde, like Emma's, short hair. Jane at once recognised their faces and she could hardly hide her tears which Henry saw but Emma didn't.

"You can look through it on our way to Storybrooke." he said to Jane.

"Storybrooke?" Emma asked him in disbelief "That's where you live? Seriously?"

"Mmhm." Henry said and looked hopefully at Jane.

"All righty then. Let's get you back to Storybrooke." Emma sighed and shook her head.

Jane's eyes were, however, fixed on the book Henry gave her and there was nothing else she could see but the words written in it.

* * *

The sirens wailed in the distance as Emma, Jane and Henry drove in Emma's little yellow "bug of a car" as Jane called it. Jane's hands enveloped the book which she was already skimming through, hungry for everything in it, so much so that she couldn't hear anything that Henry or Emma were saying at the front.

"…You know I have a name, it's Henry." she finally heard her nephew saying.

"What's that book that you constantly keep referring to?" Emma looked in her mirror to the back, at Jane reading through it quietly "The one my sister can't put down?"

Jane looked up and saw Emma's questioning look.

"I'm not sure you're ready." Henry said to Emma.

"Ready for some fairytales?" Emma chuckled.

"They're not fairytales, they're true. Every story in this book actually happened." Henry replied decidedly and Jane's heart skipped a beat. It all started to make sense. Jane smiled at the book in her lap.

"Of course it did." Emma replied mockingly.

"Use your superpower, see if I'm lying." Henry continued and Emma fell silent for a few seconds. Jane's breathing quickened as she looked at Henry in amazement.

"Just because you believe in something, it doesn't make it true." Emma managed to say.

"That's exactly what makes it true." Henry answered and glanced at his auntie in the back. Jane winked at him and he smiled at her widely. She put a finger over her mouth and he quickly reverted back to his calmness, nodding in understanding. "You should know more than anyone."

"Why is that?" Emma asked.

"Because you're in this book." Henry said without a blink of doubt in his little eyes.

"Oh, kid…" Emma sighed "You've got problems…"

Jane raised her eyebrows at Emma without her knowing. She longed to join in and say something but she knew that her sister wasn't ready, not yet.

"Yep, and you're gonna fix them." Henry answered cheekily and looked at Jane again, in the mirror. They both caught one another's eyes and they didn't have to say anything, as they both felt exactly the same. They were both hopeful for the future, for the journey that has only just begun.

* * *

**Hello there! I hope you enjoyed this first chapter. Do let me know what you think about it :) I would really appreciate your feedback. Until next time… - Miss Bathsheba**


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